Composition of matter containing oxids of aluminum, silicon, and titanium and method of making same.



rran sTaTns raTnNr clarion LEWIS E. SAUNDERS, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEWYORK, ASSIGNOR T0 NORTON COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ACORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

coMrosITIo or MATTER CONTAINING oxrns or ALUMINUM, sILIooN, AND TITANIUMAND METHOD or MAKING SA E.

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No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lnwis E. SAUNDERS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Compositionof Matter Containing Oxids of Aluminum, Silicon, and Titanium and Methodof Making Same, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a composition of matter consisting essentiallyof alumina, sillca and titanium oxid, said composition beingsubstantially free from iron.

This composition of matter is available for use as an abrasive, as arefractory material for the production of cast or molded articles, andfor other purposes. A roduct having the desired percentages of si icaand titanium oxid and of substantial purity is readily prepared bythoroughly mixing these several oxids and fusing the mass in an electricfurnace into a homogeneous product. This fusion is advantageouslycarried out in a furnace of the type shown in U. S. Patent No. 77 5,65%granted November 22, 1904, to Aldus C. Higgins.

For example, I have prepared a product containing substantially 92.5 percent. of alumina, 3 per cent. of silica and 4.5 per cent. of titaniumoxid'by fusing a mixture containing these oxids iniapproximatel-y'theabove proportions. The product thus prepared is an extremely hard andtough mass, butis quite fusible as compared with pure alumina and istherefore more easily cast.

It is brown or red-brown in color and fracture, and possesses a verymarked massive or adamantine charactenand excellent abrasive qualities.A product containing 88 per cent. of alumina, 6 per cent. of silica and6 per cent. of titaniumbxid is essentially similar to the above, but ismore readily fusible, and when cooled is even more massive in character.Higher proportions of either silica or titanium oxid than those abovementioned may be advantageously employed for certain purposes. I

The product may be prepared by other methods than that mentioned, as forexample by the fusion of a bauxite or alum ore containing in addition toalumina, oxidsof silicon andtitanium, after sub ecting the same to suchpreliminary treatment as may V Specification of Letters Patent. PatentedApr. 312, 191i). Application filed January 14, 19 09. Serial No.472,348. (Specimens) be required for the'removal of iron if such bepresent.-

The effect of relatively small proportions of iron oxid is very marked,and it is essential therefore, for the purposes of this invention, thatthe removal ofthe iron should be substantially complete. The presentinvention does not contemplate the presence in the mass of substantialproportions of iron oxid, by'which is meant a proportion ex: ceedingabout one per cent. by weight of the mass.

In case the raw material contains a greater proportion of silica than isdesired themethod may be modified by incorporat-" ing with the charge alimited proportion of a suitable reducing agent, as aluminum or carbon,such proportion being sufiicient to reduce a part only of the silica. Bymelting a charge of this character in the electric-furnace it is foundthat the titanium oxid remains substantially unreduced and enters intothe product as an essential constituent thereof. Or a similar method maybe applied to the treatment of silicates of aluminum containing titaniumoxid, a suflicient proportion of the reducing .agent being added toreduce the silica to the desired extent without substantial reduction oftitanium oxid. Such methods are applicable also to the treatment ofsilicious aluminous materials which contain both titanium oxid and ironoxid, for in this case the iron may be eliminated by reduction togetherwith a portion of the silica, leaving a productconsisting essentially ofthe oxids of aluminum, silicon and titanium. The resulting mass may becrushed and the silicon or silicon alloy separated from the product bywell known'methods. a

I claim:

1. The herein described homogeneous, previously molten material,consisting essentially of the oxids of aluminum, silicon and titanium,and substantially free from iron oxid, said material characterized byhardness and toughness, and by its marked mass- 3. The method ofproducing a homogeneous, fused'material consisting essentially of oxidsof aluminum, silicon and titanium and substantially free from iron oxid,which consists in incorporating with a char e containing oxids ofaluminum, silicon an titanium, a reducing agent in proportion toeliminate a part on y of the silica, and fusing the resulting mass in anelectric furnace.

4. The method of producing a homogeneous, fused material consistingessentially of oXids of aluminum, silicon and titanium and substantiallyfree from iron oxid which consists in incorporating with a chargecontaining oxids of aluminum, silicon, titanium and 15 In testimonywhereof, I aifix my signature 20 in presence of two witnesses.

' LEWIS E. SAUNDERS.

Witnesses:

S. F. HALL, NEIL A. WILSON.

silica, and fusing

